Nagercoil (Tamil Nadu): The testing of indigenously developed cryogenic engine would be completed by October 2003, according to Indian Space Research Organiastion (ISRO) chairman Dr K Kasturirangan.

The preliminary tests of the engine had already been carried out successfully and the final testing would be done in October, he told scientists at ISRO's liquid propulsion system centre in Mahendragiri.

ISRO planned to launch GSLV-D3, the next in the developmental flight series, with the indigenous cryogenic engine, he added.

So far, Russian-made cryogenic engines had been used in the GSLV test flights, inlcuding the GSLV-D2 launched early in May.

On the Lunar mission proposed to be taken up by ISRO within the next six years, Kasturirangan said other countries have so far carried out experiments on only one side of the moon and India would explore the other side.

He said ISRO had plans to develop 11 more Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles. So far, seven PSLVs had been launched by the space agency.

PTI